history
Hosted by Mark Shaw · history · EN · 16 episodes
Welcome to Underworlds with Mark Shaw.Organized Crime is everywhere, hidden in plain sight. The stories from this world have been mythologised by Hollywood. But the reality can be even stranger and more exciting than fiction. From the golden age of the American mafia (La Cosa Nostra), to the modern-day cocaine empires, and from the shadowy links between organized crime and terrorism, to the twilight of the Yakuza.In this series Mark Shaw, the Director of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime delves into non-fiction books about organized crime and the illicit economy with the authors themselves. He asks questions about their background and investigations, but also the challenges associated in writing about this murky world.
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Contact path
Public web form
Booking probability
28%
Guest openness
Selective
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Signup to Generate a PitchWelcome to Underworlds with Mark Shaw. Organized Crime is everywhere, hidden in plain sight. The stories from this world have been mythologised by Hollywood. But the reality can be even stranger and more exciting than fiction.
Underworlds with Mark Shaw is hosted by Mark Shaw. The show has published 16 episodes to date.
Recent episodes include "Money, Drugs, Horses & Los Zetas, the Most Violent Cartel in Mexico | Melissa Del Bosque" (6 July 2026, 36 minutes), "Money, Drugs, Horses & Los Zetas, the Most Violent Cartel in Mexico | Melissa Del Bosque" (6 July 2026, 36 minutes), and "PAGAD: Intelligence War In South Africa's New Democracy | David Africa | Underworlds with Mark Shaw" (1 June 2026, 40 minutes).
Underworlds with Mark Shaw publishes roughly weekly, with episodes averaging 44 minutes across 16 episodes.
Booking probability for Underworlds with Mark Shaw is 28%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. Underworlds with Mark Shaw requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. Underworlds with Mark Shaw's contact route on record: public web form.
The strongest fits for Underworlds with Mark Shaw are Courts, Police & Public Safety. Underworlds with Mark Shaw has a history audience.
Mark Shaw hosts Underworlds with Mark Shaw, a history show with 16 episodes published.
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Episode #2
<p>Journalist and author Melissa Del Bosque joins host Mark Shaw on Underworlds to discuss her book Bloodlines: How the FBI Took on Mexico's Most Violent Drug Cartel — a gripping account of how Los Zetas laundered...
Episode #2
Journalist and author Melissa Del Bosque joins host Mark Shaw on Underworlds to discuss her book Bloodlines: How the FBI Took on Mexico's Most Violent Drug Cartel — a gripping account of how Los Zetas laundered cartel...
Episode #1
<p>In the early years of South Africa's democracy, a small unit of police intelligence officers was fighting a war most people didn't know was happening — and that their own government didn't want to believe was...
Episode #7
<p>Ransomware is a growing threat in our digital world, changing how cybercrime works. In this podcast, Mark talks to Max Smeets, an academic and author, about the rise of ransomware as detailed in his book Ransom War...
Episode #6
<p>The global shipping industry, vital for international trade, is a hotbed for criminal activities like maritime fraud. </p><p>In this podcast episode, journalist and author Matthew Campbell, co-author of Dead in the...
Episode #5
<p>Russia in Four Criminals: Exploring Russian Organized Crime with Federico Varese.</p><p>Join host Mark in a riveting episode of Underworlds as he interviews renowned academic and author Federico Varese about his...
Episode #4
<p>Mafiopoli: Uncovering the ’Ndrangheta, Italy’s Most Powerful Mafia.</p><p>In this episode of Underworlds, host Mark interviews Dutch journalist and author Sanne De Boer about her book, Mafiopoli: Living Among the...
Episode #3
<p>Rinsed: How Tech Fuels Money Laundering for Cartels and Cybercriminals</p><p>In this episode of Underworlds, host Mark interviews journalist and author Geoff White about his book, Rinsed: From Cartels to Crypto: How...
Episode #2
<p>Man Alone: Mandela’s top cop – exposing South Africa’s ceaseless sabotage</p><p>In this episode Mark sits down with journalist Caryn Dolley to discuss her latest book, ‘Man Alone: Mandela’s top cop – exposing South...
Episode #1
<p>Underworlds with Mark Shaw is returning for another season.</p><p>Mark sits down with authors to discuss their investigations into the murky world of organized crime.</p><p>In season two, we hear about a range of...
Episode #7
<p>Russia, the Wagner Group and the Fall of Yevgeny Prigozhin. </p><p>In this episode, Mark sits down with Professor Mark Galeotti, to discuss his new book, co-authored with Anna Arutunyan, ‘Downfall: Prigozhin, Putin...
Episode #6
<p>What role do women play in the Latin American drug cartels?</p><p>In this episode, Mark sits down with investigative journalist Deborah Bonello to discuss her book ‘Narcas: The Secret Rise of Women in Latin America's...
Episode #5
<p>What links the Italian mafia, the DEA, and Hezbollah? </p><p>In this episode, Mark sits down with investigative journalist Miles Johnson, to discuss his book ‘Chasing Shadows: A True Story of the Mafia, Drugs and...
Episode #4
<p>How did the Kinahan organized crime group rise to the top of cocaine trafficking in Europe?</p><p>In this episode, Mark sits down with investigative journalist and author Nicola Tallant to discuss her book ‘Cocaine...
Episode #3
<p>Are these the twilight years of the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia?</p><p>In this episode, Mark sits down with investigative journalist and author Jake Adelstein to discuss his book ‘The Last Yakuza: A Life in the...
Episode #2
<p>The History of the American Mafia: How the Mob Built Its Empire in the US, with Former Gambino Crime Family Associate, Louis Ferrante.</p><p>In this episode, Mark sits down with former Mob associate Louis Ferrante to...
Episode #1
<p>Welcome to Underworlds with Mark Shaw.</p><p>Organized Crime is everywhere, hidden in plain sight. The stories from this world have been mythologised by Hollywood. But the reality can be even stranger and more...
Recent guests on Underworlds with Mark Shaw. Study who booked and why before you pitch.
Co-Director of Virtual Routes, Senior Researcher, Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich
Head of Department at the Smurfit Institute of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Investigative Journalist and Author of Rinsed, Roanoke Fiddle Lessons
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